Realtively Maybe
by TheEverpresentWordsnatcher
Summary: Luna Lovegood was not a normal student, some would even say abnormal.
1. The First Hello

_A/N: I don't really think that many people have read this, but to those of you who have I've changed the story to add in a love interest. So I went back and changed a bit in all the chapters. Not much though. I hope you like the new twist..._

The First Hello

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><p>Luna Lovegood had never been one for long goodbyes. In fact, she really wasn't one for hellos either. Perhaps that's why the compartment of first years had greeted her so poorly upon her arrival.<p>

"You know—there seem to be a lot of nargles hanging about your head," Luna had said as she slid the door shut behind her.

The feeble looking boy in question appeared rather alarmed at this declaration. He paled as Luna hummed and sat down across from him. To her right a drab girl with messy looking brown plaits and dull brown eyes hid a small sneer behind her hand. The boy across from her had the same sneer upon his face, although his was far more public in nature.

"N-na nargles?" The small boy across from her with wispy looking hair finally manage to stutter.

"Yes, Nargles, you have an infestation of them."

The boy sitting next to the window now openly scoffed at Luna.

"Nargles? I've never heard of Nargles. And my father works at the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, so_ I_ should know."

With this he gave a short snort that matched his pig-like appearance and he turned away from Luna to occupy the other girl with information his _esteemed_ father had told him about Hogwarts.

"I'm Tobias Bu Burke by the way, what's a Nargle?" The wispy boy finally managed to whisper out.

"Hmm?" Luna asked, as she had been absentmindedly staring out the window, her silvery eyes absorbing the passing pearly white clouds.

"Oh yes," she finally thought out loud, "It's a small creature, they can often be found in mistletoe you know. They have a tendency for stealing socks and the like."

"Oh. Ri—Right."

"Nargles are known to interrupt thought paths; they could possibly be causing your stutter."

Tobias stared at Luna like she had just strung his pants out the compartment door for all the Hogwarts students to see. Had this crazy girl just insulted _him_?

"So Burke, how does it feel to be insulted by this nutter we only just met? The boy near the windows voice drawled across the compartment.

"I wasn't ins…"

Luna's soft dissent was interrupted by the boy as he continued to loudly proclaim Luna's insanity, insisting on calling her everything from batty to a bimbo.

Perchance she shouldn't have mentioned the Nargles that now drifted throughout the chamber, Luna mused, still staring absently out the window. It's not her fault the other students lacked the open-minded capacity to see them.

"Really now," he said, "I don't see why we have to sit in the presence of this nutter." Can she even hear us? Hello? Helloooo? Well as I was saying, there are four houses that we get sorted into. My family has been in Slytherin for ages. And my brother played on the Slytherin quidditch team when he went to school here.

"My name is Luna Lovegood, not the git-in-the-corner." Her voce lilted across the compartment, compelling it into complete silence.

Luna sighed inwardly at her first botched attempt to make friends. She had only been trying to inform them of the potential problem caused by Nargles. She was in the midst of trying to decide whether to explain this to Burke or not when a whistle resounded throughout the train, signaling their eminent arrival at Hogwarts.

Luna had already conveniently dressed for the occasion by donning her school robes that very morning. Perhaps that was why she had caused so many double takes and been on the receiving end of many a blatant stare as she traveled to Platform 9 ¾ with her father. Or perhaps it was her father blazing green and orange bangled robes. Whatever the case, the Lovegood's had seemed oblivious to the Muggle's stares. Just as Luna now seemed oblivious to the muttering that followed her as she left the compartment and entered the train's hallway.

Exhausted with the unexpected disdain she had received from the other first years, Luna resisted the urge to slump against the wall right there. Instead she began walking, searching for a place to sit down for the few remaining minutes of this trip. The students in the other compartments all seemed so content and at home with each other. She couldn't gather the courage to interrupt their companionship. Reaching the end of another car Luna opened the door, only to find herself being pushed against the wall as another figure pushed past. The other girl stopped as she stumbled, turning back to offer a short apology.

"Oh- I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to run into you like that!"

She straightened herself up from her stumble, running her fingers through her fiery red hair.

"Are you running from nargles? You can't get rid of them by puling at your hair like that. They'll just get more attached."

The other girl laughed, it was a free and open chuckle that seemed contagious. At least she didn't seem like she was laughing at Luna, it seemed sincere.

"Well I guess you could call the two of them nargles, although I'm not really sure what a nargle is."

"A nargle..." Luna began to reply, but soon found herself interrupted as the door banged open. She found herself colliding yet again with two blazing masses that were topped with red hair.

"There you are Ginny-my-dear," said one.

"We've been looking all over for you!" The other twin smiled and glanced over at Luna.

"Yeah, we thought you might be trying to hide from us or something."

"Well I was trying to," Ginny interrupted, "Can't you just let me sit with my friends without causing any trouble?"

The two boys glanced at one another, smiling cryptically.

"Soooo, our little Ginny's already got friends," one of the twins teased.

"Oh shut it Fred." Ginny was beet red now, almost the same colour as her hair. "Yes, I do have friends, and I would prefer that they at least get to know me before they get scared off by my annoying twin brothers."

The two boys smiled innocently.

"We were just giving you a warm welcome." The one who was not Fred replied with a wink.

Ginny rolled her eyes; she spun around, grabbing Luna's hand as she did so, dramatically making her way down the hall and away from her brothers.

"Sorry about that," she said a few steps later as she let go of Luna's hand. "I'm Ginny Weasley, by the way," the red headed girl said whilst sticking out her hand.

"Weasley?" Luna intoned, "Do you live by Ottery St. Catchpole perchance?"

"How'd you know?"

"Oh, well I actually live rather near you; my father's talked of your family a few times. I'm Luna Lovegood if you'd like to know." With this Luna smiled broadly at the other girl, and vehemently shook her hand.

Ginny seemed to recognize her name from some place and happily shook back, glad that her brothers hadn't pranked this new friend as well.

"So do you know any place where we could sit down for a bit?"

Luna shook her head, her smile dropping off a degree.

Ginny seemed oblivious to this though and instead took Luna's hand again and lead her down the hall. It seemed that the two girls were destined to never find a seat though for as soon as they began walking a shrill whistle resounded throughout the train, marking their eminent arrival. Both girls were jolted as the train came to a grounding halting. A steady stream of students were now pouring from the compartments, their luggage being pulled behind them. Noticing this, Luna suddenly realised that her own luggage lay forgotten in her last compartment. It seemed that Ginny was having the same realisation.

Ginny pulled Luna into a quick hug, "I've got to grab my stuff, I'll see you soon!"

Luna merely nodded before heading in the opposite direction to find her belongings.

Although her first attempt at making friends had not gone as most would hope, Luna still smiled softly at the looming castle. She had Ginny as a friend now. Luna and the other first years followed the booming voice of the gigantic Gameskeeper to the string of boats sitting in the water. Luna embarked on one, hiding her thoughts behind a façade of obliviousness. She was rocked back and forth with the boat that carried her and her classmates across the dark lake. They too smiled at the nearing castle, although nervous looks and panicked faces were spread among the mix.

Luna's eyes piqued in interest as she gazed out across the lake. She intently watched as an object that looked alarmingly like a tentacle reached out of the water to brush against the sides of some of the boats further back. Luna decided not to bother these boats inhabitants with this likely terrifying news and instead heartened at the prospect of later meeting the rest of the creature the tentacle belonged to. Her boat was now nearing the shore closest to the school and Luna and the other two students in it made to disembark and join the Gameskeeper. Lost in her own thoughts Luna could only smile as she heard a distinct yelp and splash behind her.

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><p><em>(Year One)<em>


	2. The Library

The Library

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><p>Luna felt the hat being placed in her head, its heavy warmness encircled her as she waited for it to yell out a house like it had for the other students. That's when she heard the low murmur talking to her, seemingly from inside her head.<p>

"Ambition surely, but you would do poorly there with your soft heart. Courage I see as well, but your intelligence might go to waste if you go there."

"Excuse me, sir," Luna thought loudly hoping that the hat would hear her, "you're deciding what house I should be in? Do you always decide like this? How do you make the decision? Were you enchanted to see?"

"I should have known from the beginning," the Sorting Hat seemed to say to itself cutting off Luna's stream of questions. "Has to be… Ravenclaw!"

The Sorting Hat yelled loudly, now for everybody in the hall to hear. And so with a somewhat puzzled look on her face Luna floated over to the table underneath the blue and bronze hangings, welcomed and applauded into their midst, perhaps the first and only time in her life when they would do so.

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><p>Luna Lovegood did not like libraries. They contained so much information and knowledge, but everybody should know that you can't have so very much of it in one room. It just ends up confusing people, with all the different thoughts and opinions flying between the people and the books. Knowledge shouldn't be crammed into one place, sitting stale and unused.<p>

It needed to be sought out and explored properly. To be shared and questioned and changed. It was fluid. So Luna only went into the Library to borrow the books she wanted, but never to stay there and learn. She preferred to study wherever her mind felt the most comfortable at the moment.

And during this particular day, Luna thus found herself hiding within the gears of the clock tower while two older students were entangled against the wall adjacent to her. Luna rather hoped that they would leave soon, she was beginning to get a cramp in her right leg and if they found her they would probably think she was spying on them or something.

So Luna waited, and ignored them. Instead she thought about the latest addition of her father's magazine, the Quibbler, which was lying in her bag. Her father had told her that he would be traveling abroad this year to find new stories for the magazine. He had said to look to the Quibbler for news of his adventures and discoveries.

It was common legend that a few of the sirens of Circe might still inhabit the island, but no one had seen them for over two hundred years. Luna's father believed that they were still there, hiding from all other creatures. And he intended to talk to them, to discover the source of their vocal power. Although their anatomy was strikingly similar to that of mermaids, they spoke human languages and seemed to have vocal powers like those of the Veelas. Crossbreeding, Luna thought. A Veela sailor and a mermaid mating. Could the sirens then use magic like Veelas, Luna asked herself?

Luna wished she could be with her father like when she was younger. Exploration, adventure, and knowledge all in one trip. But instead, she was at Hogwarts. With students who would scoff at the idea of living sirens. Few were so willing, or even able to accept and believe in much of what she did. Everything and anything, Luna thought, could be true. But it should also be questioned and investigated. How else was one to learn? If they just believed everything that people and books told them? Luna believed that her knowledge came from her understanding of herself and the world.

Luna finally opened her eyes and realized that her leg had indeed gone to sleep. And it seemed that the nefarious couple had long departed. In fact, Luna thought, pulling herself out from her hidden crevice, they had probably been gone for a very long time. Luna pulled on her bag to no avail, it was caught on one of the clock's gears. As she pulled and attempted to wiggle it out of place she heard a taunt ripping noise and watched as her belongings scattered across the floor. Luna echoed this rip with a sigh of her own as she bent down to gather her things.

"Repairo," she muttered, pulling her wand from behind her ear to fix her bag. As Luna pulled her quills and ink into her newly repaired bag, she noticed that she was still missing her _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. _It should have turned up by now she thought. Well at least she still had both of her shoes. It was rather wet out and Luna was not in the mood for catching a cold today.

As Luna walked down from the tower she brushed her hand against the spot where the couple had been entangled on the wall. The cold stone had already reclaimed their body heat.

"Curious," she whispered to herself.

Winding her way through the labyrinth of Hogwarts, Luna soon found that her red-headed friend, well her only friend to be precise, had fallen into step with her.

"Here," said Ginny, thrusting Luna's missing book into her arms. "I found a couple of second year Slytherins trying to throw it on the roof. It gave me an excuse to try this new hex I read about."

"How lovely," exclaimed Luna, "it looked like rain tonight and my books have never fared well in the rain."

Ginny seemed caught between questioning Luna's response and berating the girl for her melancholy manner.

"How can you take this Luna? Everyday they're absolutely horrible to you and the most you ever do is smile and ask 'how do you do?'"

"It's easier this way," Luna answered, "If they're picking on me and taking my things then they won't be bullying the other students. And I don't really mind it. I just wouldn't want anybody else to get hurt, especially not if I could stop it."

"But Luna," Ginny stammered, "you're not actually stopping it, well I guess you're stopping it for the others, but that's still not stopping it!"

"You see?" Luna smiled. "It's better this way."

"You're still getting hurt then," Ginny replied.

"And they're not."

Ginny sighed, used to their conversations ending like this. Sometimes that girl just does not see reason, she thought.

"Well where have you been then? I didn't see you at dinner."

"Studying in the clock tower," Luna replied.

"Hmmph," Ginny snorted. "Yeah that's what all the other students are calling it.

"Well _I_ was studying," Luna interrupted, "the two students who came in after me certainly were not."

Luna smiled, happy to be with her friend and not being made fun of or teased. Ginny might not believe in everything that Luna did, but at least she was willing to accept her for who she was.

"And so I heard that Justin and Madge were out after curfew the other night, maybe they went to the clock tower too," Ginny insinuated, never having stopped her banter about the current and ongoing couples at Hogwarts.

Coming to a landing on the third floor the two girls parted ways, each heading towards their respective towers. And so Luna began her long trek to the other side of the castle.

Her long way back to her dormitory was particularly depressing without the glow that Ginny always seemed to provide. How often was it that she wished she could be in Griffindor with Ginny, instead of stuck in Ravenclaw with a group of girls who constantly teased her. Ginny always knew how to turn their insults around, biting back with her own sarcastic remarks. And her hexes were becoming notorious, the mere mention of them was enough to scare away the lesser bullies.

Luna always felt a sort of resonation when she was with Ginny, like they existed in the same plane of thought. To sat that they were connected was undeniable.

And Ginny always had her back, looking out for her, making sure that the other students didn't bother her too much. She supported Luna when all the other students would rather dismiss her as crazy.

And thanks to Ginny, she had her book now. Although she had hardly had any time to work on the essay that Professor Flitwick wanted before the weekend. At least tomorrow was Friday. She could go see the squid or try to find some Jarveys in the forest. Luna had always wanted to have a conversation with one. Although she had heard that they were rather testy. If that didn't pan out, Luna knew that Ginny would always be there, to study with, or just talk to.

Perhaps she would even come with Luna to the forest this time. The last time that Luna had wandered into the forest, the Gameskeeper Hagrid had come around. They had ended up talking about Hagrid's herd of Threstrals until it was dark out and Luna had had to go back to the castle. Maybe he would introduce Luna and Ginny to the herd that he had talked about.

Luna soon found herself at the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower, with the eagle knocker in front of her. She reached politely to give it a small tap and waited expectantly for its riddle.

"When one does not know what it is then it is something, but when one knows what it is then it is nothing, what is it," the knocker asked solemnly?

"Hmmm…" Luna pondered, finally answering, "Fear, I think."

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><p><em>(Luna's First Year...)<em>


	3. Unconventional and Unexpected

Unconventional and Unexpected

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><p>Luna Lovegood was not particularly fond of the weekend trips to Hogsmead, and yet she was not particularly adverse to them either. It was February, the Valentine's Day trip to the wizarding village. Although Luna had indeed felt the draw of exploring the many shops and attractions in Hogsmead, she knew that she really didn't belong. She had more pressing matters to attend to on this particular Saturday, at least that's what she kept telling herself.<p>

As several of Luna's quills and inkpots had mysteriously disappeared this week, she had decided to search the Ravenclaw Tower while the majority of the older students were elsewhere. The first and second year Ravenclaw's lay scattered about the common room. A cool breeze fluttered through a tall window that was cracked near the fireplace, allowing the two opposing heats to mingle as they whispered around the silken blue and bronze banners that adorned the walls.

Luna's gaze drifted past the students, hoping for some clue to her lost belongings. As she pondered as to their location, her mind began to drift as well, and finding the writing utensils no longer seems quite so important. Luna's friend Ginny Weasley had invited her to join her in Hogsmead later today, but Luna had refused her. Ginny would probably rather spend the day in close consort with her male admirers. And if she went, Luna knew that Ginny would automatically look out for her, glaring at the other students whenever she heard their whisperings about Loony Lovegood.

It would be too hard anyways, watching Ginny with all of the other students around her, knowing that she couldn't have her.

Finally deciding to give up on her quisling quest to decipher her feeling and to find her belongings, Luna walked out the entryway and descended into the castle. Today was not a day for open skies and green trees she thought, today was a day for winding passages and heavy stone.

Luna did not know where she was going to any precise degree, she never really did. It was always better to let your feet take you where they will. Anyways, they probably had a better idea of where they wanted to go then she did. And with this methodology in mind, Luna knew that she was one of very few people who knew the castle quite like she did.

Luna found herself winding her way down into the depths of the Hogwarts dungeons. The cold stone seemed to absorb her and draw her further onwards.

She was wandering the halls aimlessly. What subfloor was this? What dungeon level? Hogwarts was vast, so much of it unused. Who really needed the space of an entire castle anyways? Luna wondered what uses these rooms had had in past generations. What magical entities had they held? She hummed to herself, allowing the noise to vibrate about the hall. Her melody felt light, a bee a buzz searching for pollen.

She closed her eyes and clasped her arms about her as she spun down the passageway. The thick magic of the castle manipulated her body, pulling her along. And pull her it did, right into some solid mass. She collided and fell, a mass of limbs entangled. This can't be a wall she thought; it was far too warm- warm and soft. And noisy. This wall not wall had 'oomph-ed' when she struck it, and now it was on the ground with her. A sputtering, a cascade of sounds spilled out from this shape next to her, it was incomprehensible to discern.

"Merde! Dis Donc—Ouais… Crotte!"

"Oh yes," Luna whispered to herself, finally remembering to open her eyes. They had not seemed so important before this instance of realization. She had been dancing through magic and there had been no need for eyesight there. And so she found herself gazing upon an unfamiliar face who looked rather unsettled to have been barged into by her.

Pulling herself out from underneath her she said, "You know, you should really look where you're going if you're going to be walking around the halls like this."

The girl stuttered at Luna, she attempted to wipe the thin layer of dust from her pale blue robes but shortly gave up to pull out her wand and clean them magically.

"You should be ze one looking out! You are ze one who ran into me," she replied.

"No," Luna smiled, "My eyes were closed so I couldn't have been looking out so the responsibility for that task then falls into your hands."

She was dumbfounded. She had expected an apology from this scraggly blonde waif, and yet she was insisting that it was her fault! These British students, always assuming their superiority as wizards. They seemed to think that they were the only ones on this planet! The audacity of this girl astounded her. Her logic in this instance was, to say the least, crazy.

"How do you do?" Luna asked haphazardly, as if she really didn't expect an answer. Not many people would answer it properly anyways.

The girl reached out his hand in greeting instead, "Eet is nice to meet you, I am Emilie," he said.

Luna stared at the outstretched hand. She leaned down to stare at it, her face mere centimeters away from brushing against it.

"Have you have come into contact with a Chizpurfle of late," she asked, "they leave similar patterns on the skin."

"Not zat I know of, is zat some sort of British creature? It may just be zee dust," Emilie replied. She looked at his hand warily now, not sure if it really was just the dust. She paused to brush the back of his hand against his robe.

"Oh no," said Luna, "They live all over. They have very sharp teeth and so I thought you may have encountered one."

Louis looked doubtful, but having had little training in the care of magical creatures he decided not to question this girl.

"I'm Luna," she then said, unprompted and unexpectedly.

Emilie smiled at the girl tentatively. Maybe her English just wasn't as good as she thought it was. Either that or this girl was just normally confusing. She sighed now, this Luna girl wasn't the first that she would have chosen to help her out in a situation, but she was her best bet right now.

"Vell miss Luna, I 'ave gotten myself lost in this castle of yours, could you help me to find the potions room?"

"Of course I could!" Luna smiled again, standing there.

Seconds slowly winded past as Emilie watched the girl still standing in front of her. She tapped her foot a little. She still just stood there.

"We should be going now yes?"

"Now?" Luna shot back, "If you'd like."

Luna then took the older students hand and pulled her down the same hall that she had come from.

"I guess I missed it," Emilie lamented.

"Not so much as missed it as you just never really found it," Luna mused.

Emilie no longer questioned the girl. She just let her pull him along, hopefully in the right direction. Several turns and two staircases later she thought that she recognized a portrait on the wall, some red headed man climbing a tree. Luna came to a stop in front on a thick black wooden door and gave it a gentle knock. Did the noise even transmit through Emilie wondered?

Waiting there Luna began to hum the same song as when she had run into her. Swaying back and forth she was lost in her own world. Growing impatient Emilie raised her hand to knock on the door again when it creaked open, forcing him to take a step back. The tall dark man in its silhouette looked at both of the students.

"Ms. Lovegood, Ms. Dupont." The second name he prolonged in pronunciation, drawing it out into a sneer.

"You are late Ms. Dupont."

"Ouí, yes I am sorry, but I 'ave gotten lost and needed Luna to help me."

"Of course." Snape said shortly. "Well Ms. Lovegood do you need anything else? Perhaps to discuss your last essay of the use of different ingredients in a calming draught. It was—interesting. I must say that some of the ingredients you mentioned were very unconventional and unexpected, per your usual."

Luna smiled up at Professor Snape. "My mother liked to test new ingredients in all of her potions. It isn't as effective as the normal draught, but the taste is very much improved. It reminds me of a mulberry."

She smiled again, to which the professor simply nodded.

"I expect to see you in my N.E.W.T. level class one day Ms. Lovegood."

"I would enjoy that," Luna said, she than gave Professor Snape and Emilie a wistful smile as she wafted towards the nearest staircase.

Both Emilie and Professor Snape did not appear to know what to do with this final development and stared until she had disappeared.

Emilie then muttered something underneath her breath in French, to which Professor Snape answered with a piercing scowl.

"Well hurry up girl, I don't have all day to tutor you."

The normal demeanor that Emilie had come to expect from the frigid man had returned, along with his trademark sneer. With one more fleeting glace behind her, she followed the professor inside the classroom, starting in alarm when the heavy door thudded shut behind him.

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><p><em>(Luna's Third Year)<em>


	4. On Moments and Kisses

_A/N: I don't really think that many people have read this, but to those of you who have I've changed the story to add in a love interest. So I went back and changed a bit in all the chapters. Not much though. I hope you like the new twist..._

On Moments and Kisses

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><p>She found her on the floor of the girl's bathroom, crying. She took a step back slowing, hoping to exit without incident when those warm brown eyes rose to meet her own gray ones. She retracted that step now, moving forward towards the tears, to where she didn't want to go. She couldn't do this. It wasn't fair. But those brown eyes had already caught her; she felt her body betray her, closing the distance.<p>

No, turn, just go now, she pleaded with herself, yet the part of her that lay entranced with the pain that filled those seeping eyes told another story, that she doesn't know , and that if she did, maybe something else could fill her mind. That voice clamoured within Luna's mind, wishing she could tell her, yet knowing that she could not. She wished that her heart would stop gripping out towards her friend. She wished that the clever, strong girl that she had loved since that first day here could come to love her back. But Ginny loved somebody else, and he didn't even know.

"You know, if you mix tears with nirnroot, you can create a solution similar to muggle fireworks? Well not really similar, but when mixed the two substances will emit a puff of shimmering lights that remains in the air for several minutes. It's really quite enchanting…"

A thin smile waned across the other girls face, never really reaching her eyes. At least the tears had stopped, or momentarily abated. Luna let a matching smile slip out, hoping to cheer her friend.

"You shouldn't cry about him Ginny. Not like this," Luna whispered as she wrapped her arms around her, sinking down to the chilled bathroom floor.

"Why shouldn't I," Ginny demanded, "He doesn't know I exist. All he does is moon over that stupid Ravenclaw Cho."

"That's why."

"Because he cares about some other girl and doesn't know I exist?"

"No, because even if he did, he still would never know how wonderful you actually are. I saw that the first time I saw you Ginny, I've always known. So don't make up excuses for somebody you don't know."

"Oh-" Ginny paused, "But-"

Luna smiled then. "You're wonderful, and smart, and funny. He doesn't see that."

"How could he though? I just want to know that there's a chance."

"And if there was, would he still deserve you then?"

Ginny looked up at Luna then, he eyes still wet with tears. A short frown seemed stuck on her face.

"Luna, he's the Boy Who Lived, a Triwizard Champion, he's faced You Know Who."

Luna reached out to Ginny, brushing a band of hair behind her ear. "Since that first day, I saw you for who you are: the kindness, the stubbornness, the Ginny who I love. And I was right about wanting to be friends with that person; I always knew I would be. I live for what I have Ginny, and I don't want you to slip through my fingers."

Luna inhaled deeply. She felt her body shaking. "So here's to chances and love."

She leaned down, catching Ginny's lips against her own. The moment lingered for longer than a moment felt like it should really be, but it was only that. A moment and a kiss.

Releasing Ginny, Luna felt her breath catch in her lungs. She stood up and picked her way out of the bathroom. Three, four, she counted the steps to the door. Opening it, she gave a searching glance behind her. With a soft sigh she observed her friend who sat precisely as she had left her. Luna extracted herself from the room, inching through the small space that she had opened, and then gently closed the door behind her.

She ran then. Her legs pumped, propelling her forward. Forward was the only way her body could move while her mind remained in the bathroom with Ginny, forever stuck in that single moment. She examined every touch, every word, every moment that had been executed, hoping to gain some glint of understanding that she did not now possess.

Only when she reached the solitary confines of the Astronomy Tower did her mind catch up, startled at her final resting place. It was then that she realised how very tired she was. Her legs ached, her lungs pounded, begging for more oxygen. Oh, she thought, I must not have had a proper breath of air since I left the bathroom, have I? She was panting now, bending over with her palms against her knees. She sank to the floor, splaying her arms and legs out in an attempt to cool her raw frame. What would Ginny think of her? She had always wanted to tell her, but it had always felt wrong, but doing it then?

That was surely just as wrong, it certainly wasn't the right time. Luna smiled then. It may have been the wrong moment, but it had still felt right. She wished that she could press her lips against Ginny's once more, and erase the tears that lingered on her cheeks. Luna closed her eyes and pressed her fingers against her temples. She wasn't ready to consider the possible consequences of her actions yet, so instead she reached out to the magic that filled the castle. It buzzed and whispered through the air. She concentrated on the feeling, letting her own turmoil fade away.

The clock tower was chiming. Dinner had started. But Luna refused to move. What if she had made some monumental mistake? She kept her eyes closed to stave of the impending panic. Sometime later, Luna distinctly heard the bells chime again, the students would all be in their dorms now. Luna sat and listened as the clock continued to ring out the hours, waiting for the sound of the chime to reverberate around the castle, finally winding its way to the upper confines of the Astronomy tower. Her mind wandered, finally shutting down as the twelve long strokes of midnight caroled upwards and into her resting place.

Luna woke up to a sore back and a chilled body. The stones of the cattle had stolen some more body heat it seemed. The tower was illuminated by a weak and formless glow. Luna wished that the sun's rays could travel up the side of the tower quicker, to reach and warm her. She peered down at the watch clasped around her ankle. Five Twenty-One. The castle would still be asleep. Luna slipped through the halls; she was a shadow in this giant expanse of stone. Reaching her dormitory, she reached forward to gently tap the knocker that hung in the doorway.

"You feel it, but never see it, and never will."

"Love," Luna answered, "any emotion suppose really…"

The knocker had begun talking already as Luna mumbled the rest of her response, knowing that it wasn't really necessary.

"As always, an interesting answer."

The door gently swung open, emitting the tired girl into the common room. Once inside Luna moved towards her dormitory. Her roommates were probably glad that she had never shown up. The prefects had always seemed to turn a blind eye towards Luna and the other students antics around her. They had tried at first; but now they only really ignored her. Today, at least, she was glad for that. Pulling off her shoes she turned the door handle, hoping that she wouldn't wake anyone.

The floor was cool against her bare feet. Shoes went next to bed, robes on top of it. Luna grabbed a clean uniform from her trunk and left the room to shower. The warm water rolled down her, bringing goose bumps as cold skin met with steam. Watching the droplets wash down her skin, she wished that yesterday's events could be washed away just as easily.

How would Ginny interpret what had happened? Luna's mind whirled with the potential outcomes, she could lose a friend, they could ignore what happened, she could gain something more. But which? Any of them? The water pressure changed, no longer pounding against Luna's skin, so the other girls were up now. Luna stood emerged in the downpour for one more moment before conceding to the day. It was finally time to acknowledge what had happened.

She entered the dormitory fully clothed, she scuttled over to her bed to pull on her robe and shoes, but they were gone. Of course. Well gone from this place at least, they were always somewhere. And they would turn up in that somewhere later. Luna wondered why the other girls still took them when they knew she didn't mind. Pushing that thought away, Luna then pulled on the crusted yellow galoshes that she used for Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. She slung her bag over her shoulder before sweeping out of the room, her long dirty blonde hair trailing behind her.

Her stomach had been growing louder and louder all morning calling for a meal to replace the ones she had missed the previous day. She trailed down the stairs, her fingers running against many a set of disgruntled painting owners. Luna wondered when she would run into her red haired friend. She wondered if she wanted to. Entering the Great Hall, she found it pleasingly deserted.

Only a bare minimum of students had arrived, the majority of the Ravenclaw's, hoping to get an early start. They were clustered at the edge of their table, books and parchment filling the spaces between them. At the remaining tables, the few students there were slumped over their breakfasts, looking like they still belonged in bed. A single Slytherin sat alone at the end of his table, his dark eyes piercing through the hall. The professors table was just as barren. It was a slow morning at Hogwarts.

Luna sat down in the middle of her table, far enough away from the group at the end that their chatter was turned into a low mummer. She pulled eggs and toast towards her, filling an empty plate. So intent on her food, she failed to notice the student who sat down next to her, a student with blazing red hair. Eventually he cleared his throat. Luna turned towards him, her dishwater hair dusting over her eyes to provide some layer of protection. She could see Ginny in him. The red hair and brown eyes, but his glasses gave him a steely look, more harsh and calculating, lacking his sister's determination and will. His lips were pursed in a tight line, staying that way even as he began to speak.

"Luna Lovegood? Yes?" Even though phrased as a question, it was every bit of a challenge. Like he was judging her reaction. Knowing this, Luna decided that she would rather not challenge Percy Weasley, brother of her best and only friend. So Luna didn't react. Instead she took a rather large bite of eggs and chewed nosily while peering out at him behind her thin wall of hair.

Percy was rolling his eyes inside his head, yes of course, she really was Looney Lovegood. Realising this he felt that the conversation would be completed much more quickly if he did all of the talking.

"I'm here about my sister, Ginny. She's the youngest in our family and that means that we all watch out for her. I want to know why she was looking for you last night, and why she looked so upset when she was doing this. I know she considers you a friend, which is why I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. But you need to know that Ginny went through a lot her first year here, and I'm going to make sure that that never happens again."

Finally swallowing, Luna pushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Was that a question, Percy?"

He seemed surprised that she knew his name. She was best friends with his younger sister, why wouldn't she? Or maybe it was her response that surprised him. Whatever the case his eyebrows had shot straight up when she had finished talking, giving him an eerily owl like appearance. He opened his mouth to make some reply, but Luna was quicker. Although her voice contained is normal dreamy cast, she was, as always, quite serious.

"Ginny and I are friends- yesterday, I failed in that duty somewhat and I may have left her in a worse off state than when I found her. I didn't mean too at all, I suppose I'm not the best at making people feel better, but I'll always have her back, and I'll always be there for her, even if i do a horrible job at that."

Percy glared at her through the thick lenses of his horn-rimmed glasses. Seizing up her small frame.

"Just, don't let her get hurt again?"

Luna smiled, "You know, you're not nearly as a much of a prat as they say you are."

Percy scoffed, attempting to maintain his business-like facade. He nodded curtly before disembarking from the Ravenclaw table to find a place at his own.

* * *

><p><em>(Luna, and Ginny's, Third Year)<em>


End file.
